• Journal of Korea Entertainment Industry Association
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.75-89
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• 2020

As Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) Phase 3 concluded in 2019, it is time to systematically analyze the phenomenal storytelling of the franchise. In order to identify the structure of the continuous stories focusing on 'Iron Man', the central character of MCU Phase 1-3, this study used the "Save the Cat (STC)" paradigm as the tool for narrative analysis. The eight films with 1,066 minute-run time in total was analyzed based on the 15-beat STC paradigm by adjusting the distance ratio between each beat of its prototype originally based on standard films of 110 minute-run time. The results reveal that all 15 beats of the combined texts were fairly properly discovered in the positions suggested by the adjusted STC paradigm. Moreover, through the investigation, the vast text was able to be analyzed in a more comprehensive manner in the process of reconfirming the meaning of the dramatic reversals corresponding to each beat against the entire narrative. As expected, the STC paradigm proved to be a meaningful signpost for plot drives even for such a vast text. Therefore, it is believed that application of this paradigm would help not only analyze but also design other serialized franchises as well. Prior to that, however, it would be necessary to further examine the combined texts for other major characters in MCU or other franchises designed in a similar form to MCU movies through the same paradigm to verify effectiveness of such application.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.182-189
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• 2022

As OTT services become popular worldwide, content IP expansion strategy has an important position in the platform media industry ecosystem where new content is constantly distributed. In particular, the method in which a successful narrative expands the elements constituting a specific world, that is, the Universe, is effective in reducing risk factors in content IP expansion and expanding content franchises. This study intends to examine how Marvel's cinematic Universe (MCU) is strategically performing content IP expansion while borrowing the multiverse concept and replicating and reproducing it by itself through narrative analysis of . As a result, the multiverse can reproduce an incomplete state by repeating the completed event, which can exist as another self-fulfilling content. At the same time, it can be an effective content IP expansion strategy in that each story can be produced because a single character can exist in multiple under the multiverse.